Authors: Dena Garson
This time, surprisingly, Runihura was the voice of reason.
“Or one of us can go with her.”
“I already said I didn’t mind staying behind.” Mdjai
shrugged. “I can escort her to her father’s, if that is where she would prefer
to be.”
Danet looked to Ceros expectantly.
While he liked the anonymity of their current abode, she had
been away from the comfort of her own home for several days. It would only be
fair to let her return for a while.
“I would prefer if you went with us.” He squeezed her and
cut off her protest. “But I agree with your point as well. So if Mdjai doesn’t
mind going with you, then I don’t think it will be an issue for you to return
to your home.”
She dipped her head in acknowledgement.
“However.” He let the word hang in the air before
continuing. “I will expect you at the palace as soon as this matter with the
council is settled.”
Danet frowned. “Why?”
“Because I want you there.” And that was all the reason he
needed.
She blinked in surprise.
“Is that all the queen had to say?” Mdjai asked.
“Not quite,” Gehiji said hesitantly. He looked to Ceros.
“What’s wrong?” Ceros asked.
“She sent word that your father’s pyre was lit this
morning,” Gehiji said quietly.
There was a tightening in Ceros’ chest.
Danet’s tiny hand slipped into one of his. He squeezed it to
acknowledge her silent offering of support. All four pairs of eyes were on him
as if waiting for an answer. “I should have been there.”
“Do you wish to go this evening and pay your respects?”
Gehiji asked.
He took a deep breath. “Yes, actually I would.”
“If we wait until full dark, I believe we could blend in
with what few citizens stream in. You’ve been gone long enough now that if you
wear a hooded cloak, it’s doubtful you’d be recognized,” Gehiji speculated.
“Runihura and I could go with you since no one at the palace
would know us. Gehiji could stay here with Danet,” Mdjai suggested.
Ceros nodded.
“Unless you want to go as well?” Mdjai asked Danet.
“No. Too many people would recognize me. I can go tomorrow,
after all of this is over,” she said.
He gave her hand another squeeze in thanks.
“Now, what about the evening meal?” Runihura said, trying to
turn the conversation to something lighter.
Ceros smiled but his mind was lost in memories of his
father.
The next morning, Danet gathered her things as memories of
the night spent in Ceros’ arms trickled through her mind.
Ceros returned late but assured her they had gotten to the
pyre without incident. His mood, as one might expect, had been solemn. When he
crawled into bed with her, he pulled her close and held her for the longest
time.
Their lovemaking had been sweet and slow. It had branded his
touch on her body and her heart in a way that would never fade.
A sigh escaped as she finished packing then she went in
search of Mdjai. She found him sitting near the front window with a knife and a
small piece of wood. At first she thought he was sharpening the blade but then
she realized he was carving something. Even though the wood held his attention,
he probably knew exactly what was going on outside the window.
“What are you making?” she asked as she approached.
He shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”
“Then how do you know where to put the knife?”
“I just know.”
Part of her wanted to scoff at his response but his voice was
sincere. Besides, who was she to criticize anyone’s talents? Healing was much
the same way for her. Herbs and their uses as well as symptoms for common
illnesses had been part of her learning. However, diagnosing what was wrong
with a patient was more intuitive for her than recalling something she learned.
She watched Mdjai work the wood. The steady strokes of the
knife were oddly soothing. Finally she spoke up. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
He nodded once. “I’ll have another look around and ready my
mount.”
“We’re riding?”
He slipped his knife into the sheath strapped to the side of
his thigh and the wood into a small pouch at his waist. “Of course. I’m not
about to leave Amisi with a stranger.”
She frowned. “I don’t know why I didn’t realize some of you
might have brought your own.”
“Ceros probably didn’t. The beast inside him spooks most
eligari.” Mdjai stood. “Besides, he prefers to run for some reason.” Mdjai
shook his head. “I’ve never understood that.”
Danet smiled and filed that bit of information away. “I’ll
grab my things. Should I wait for you here or meet you outside somewhere?”
The look on his face indicated how foolish he thought the
question was. “Here.” Without another word, he fled out the door.
Danet returned to the room she had shared with Ceros. The
bed was a reminder of what had passed between them. Heat spiraled through her
body as images of the two of them together flashed through her mind. Ceros had
certainly made it memorable.
Probably a good thing since it was likely to be her last
intimate encounter with him. Once Ceros regained his place on the throne, not
only would he not have time to spend with her but it wouldn’t be appropriate. Sneaking
through the palace hallways to be with him was asking for trouble. The thought
of being with anyone else after sharing such intimacy with Ceros made her heart
ache.
She shook off the depressing thoughts and picked up her bag.
At the door, she hesitated when she spotted Ceros’ robe lying across the back
of a chair. He probably wouldn’t even miss it if she took it. And it would be
nice to have something of his to remind her of him.
Lifting the fabric to her face, she inhaled his scent. The
smell of his soap and his natural musk rippled through her senses like a gentle
breeze.
To make sure no one saw what she was doing, she quickly stuffed
the robe into her bag and returned to the front room to wait. Her backside had just
landed on the seat cushion when Mdjai returned.
He looked at her bag, the floor then the nearby seats. His
brows drew together in a frown. “Where are the rest of your things?”
“This is all I brought.” She lifted the strap of her bag. “Everything
else was supplies.”
“What woman doesn’t travel with two trunks and an assortment
of satchels?” he asked with a scowl.
“This woman,” she said, pointing to her own chest.
He grunted. “Well, don’t complain later if you left
something behind. I’m not coming back to get it.”
She shrugged. “Fine.”
“Let’s go,” he said gruffly.
Danet rolled her eyes and followed him out the door. A woman
had obviously made a bad impression on him at some point in his life.
When they stepped out onto the street, Danet could see the
two suns were high in the sky. It was the busiest part of the day so the
streets were fairly crowded. She pulled her scarf over her hair to partially
shield her face as she followed Mdjai to a stable on the other side of the
neighboring dwelling.
He stopped just inside the small structure that housed
animals. “Wait here while I get Amisi out of her stall.”
Every time one of Ceros’ men gave her an order she had to
bite down on her impulse to tell them what she thought of their brisk manner.
Only the knowledge that they were protecting both her and Ceros kept her from
saying something she probably shouldn’t.
She might have grown up serving the royal family but they
had always treated her with respect and didn’t order her about. When she
finished her learning, she obtained a status that garnered respect from almost
every class of citizen. It was uncomfortable having three men she barely knew
telling her where and when to go.
Mdjai led a massive creature from a stall in the far corner.
It looked much like an eligari but with a thicker body and legs and a longer
but finer coat of hair. The thing looked as if it could pull three wagons and
not breathe hard.
“You named that massive creature Amisi? It certainly doesn’t
look like any kind of flower I’ve ever seen,” Danet said as she looked up at
its giant face.
Mdjai held the reins. “I was told by the woman who owned her
that Amisi chose her own name.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Your mount chose her own
name?”
“She did. Now are you going to stand here all day asking
questions or are you going to get into that saddle?”
Danet glanced at it. “The only way I can get up there is if
you give me something to stand or climb up on.”
Mdjai sighed loudly as if he were being extraordinarily
inconvenienced. “We’ll do this another way then.” He climbed up into the saddle
with ease then reached a hand down to Danet.
“What?” she asked.
“Give me your hand and I’ll pull you up.” When she
hesitated, he asked, “You’re not afraid to ride, are you?”
“No,” she said incredulously.
“Then give me your hand.”
Danet pulled the strap of her bag over her head so it lay
across her chest instead of on her shoulder then put her hand in his.
With one swoop, Mdjai pulled her up and set her in the
saddle in front of him. He steadied her then said, “Now swing around and sit
behind me.”
A task easier said than done, but Danet made it without
unmanning him. As she put her hands around his waist, she wished it were Ceros
she was riding behind. Mdjai was a handsome man. He was more rugged in
appearance and darker than Ceros, but she felt certain many of the unmated
women at the palace would be tripping over themselves when they saw him just as
they had Gehiji.
The journey through town was uneventful other than the
people who stopped and stared. She wasn’t sure if the stares were due to the
large beast they rode or if the townspeople were on alert because of the
prince’s disappearance. Either way, Danet feared word would spread to the
palace. She just hoped they reached her home before anyone tried to detain
them. Almost as fervently, she hoped Ceros would be able to settle the matter
with the high council quickly.
Danet answered Mdjai’s questions about where things were
located around the city. She even pointed out a few of her favorite places as
she directed him where to go.
As a precaution, she kept her scarf in place to cover her
hair and face until they reached the gates to her father’s property. She
directed Mdjai to the small stables behind the main house and introduced him to
the young man who tended the few animals they kept.
The stable worker was hesitant to lead Amisi to a stall but
relaxed when he realized she could and would follow simple commands once Mdjai
instructed her to do so.
“Come. I’ll introduce you to my father.” She grinned,
knowing what was in store for Mdjai. “Father will be very happy to meet you.”
“Does the wall circle the entire property?”
Danet rolled her eyes. These guys were always on alert,
weren’t they? “Yes, it does.”
He grunted. “How many people do you employ?”
“Here it’s just Father, myself and Ryana. Ryana runs the
house and makes sure Father eats on a regular basis.”
“Is your father an invalid? I was given the impression he
was quite active as a healer.”
Danet chuckled. “No. He is not an invalid but he does tend
to get wrapped up in his research and forgets to eat.”
“Ah. More scholar than social.”
“That is an apt description.” She grinned as she led him
through the back patio entrance. “Ryana has a couple of girls who come during
the week to help with the cleaning and laundry. Other than the girls and
Ryana’s son, whom you met at the stable, we don’t employ anyone else. We
consider Ryana family rather than staff. She’s been here since before my
mother’s death.”
As if speaking of her conjured her out of thin air, Ryana
came in, wiping her hands on a towel. She quickly ran an assessing eye over
Mdjai then wrapped Danet in a hug. “Thank the stars you’re all right.” She
stepped back and put the fist holding the towel on her hip. “What have you
gotten yourself into the middle of? I hear the palace is in an uproar over the
prince but nobody is saying why. What’s happened?” She flicked a hand in
Mdjai’s direction. “And who is this giant of a man?”
“Ryana, this is Mdjai, a friend of Prince Ceros. He’s
supposed to be guarding me while the prince takes care of some royal business.”
Mdjai tipped his head and murmured a greeting but Ryana cut
him off. “Guarding you? Why?”
Danet grimaced. “Let’s go find Father so we only have to
tell this story once.”
“He hasn’t returned from the clinic yet. Should I send for
him?” Ryana asked.
Danet looked to Mdjai.
“It would probably be best,” he advised.
Danet put one hand on Mdjai’s arm. “Could he be in danger?”
“It is unlikely at this point.”
“Then yes, would you please send word to Father that he
should come home as quickly as he can? But don’t say anything of my being
here.”
Mdjai nodded his approval.
“I’ll send for him right away.” Ryana hurried off to
complete her task.
Danet took a deep, cleansing breath and caught a hint of
baking bread. “Are you hungry? Ryana makes the best sweetbread in this world.”
“Why don’t you finish showing me around first?”
She nodded then led the way to the front of the house. “This
is the main entrance. Father’s library, workroom and bedroom are at this end.”
She gestured in that direction. “The formal dining room, which rarely gets
used, is here.” She indicated the room from the doorway then continued to lead
the way through the house. “The kitchen, pantry and washroom are at the far end
of the house, but I’ll show you those in a bit. Upstairs,” she said as she led
the way up the main stairway, “are all of the bedrooms.” When they both reached
the top she pointed to the left, down the long corridor. “Ryana’s room is at
the far end. There is another staircase just outside her room that leads down
to the kitchen. There are a couple of guestrooms here,” she turned to the
right, “and one more at this end.”
“And yours?”
“Is here.” She pointed to the doorway closest to them.
“Any access to the outside from any of these bedrooms?”
Mdjai asked.
“Other than windows, you mean?”
He nodded.
“The guest suite,” she pointed to the one room behind them,
“has a small balcony. The doors may or may not be locked.”
“I assume the balcony overlooks the back of the house and
the gardens.”
“That’s correct.” She swept a hand toward the door. “You’re
welcome to take a look.”
He shook his head. “Not necessary.” With his hands behind
his back, he turned to face her. “Now, about that sweetbread.”
Danet grinned. “Follow me.”
She led Mdjai to the kitchen and waved him to the stools
sitting next to the large window. “Pull a couple of those up to the counter. If
you don’t mind, we’ll eat there instead of getting the table dirty.”
“Fine with me. That’s what we used to do at my grandmere’s.”
Danet dug around in the bread pantry for one of the
sweetbreads. Ryana could always be counted on to save one for her. Danet
grabbed a bowl of butter and a knife and put them on the counter in front of
Mdjai along with the bread. She pulled a large mug out for Mdjai and a smaller
glass for herself then grabbed the jug of cider from the chiller. “Do you mind
pouring while I slice the bread?” she asked Mdjai.
“Not at all,” he said as he reached for the container.
“I thought I heard someone rummaging through my kitchen,”
Ryana said as she came through the side door from the gardens.
Danet looked up from where she was slicing bread. “I hope
you don’t mind that I took the last sweetbread.”
“Of course I don’t mind.” Ryana wagged a finger at Danet.
“But you’ll not want your supper if you eat too much.” She looked at Mdjai and
mumbled, “You, I’m not so worried about.”
Mdjai chuckled. “No, mum, it’s unlikely a bit of your bread
will dampen my appetite.”
That was the first time Danet had seen him laugh and she was
amazed how much it brightened his face.
“So you will be here for supper then?” Ryana pressed.
Danet looked to Mdjai for an answer.
“That is the most likely scenario, mum,” he said.